Valve mechanism for washing-machines.



T. 1. YATES.

. VALVE MECHANISM FOR WASHING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30.1914

1,185,567. Patented May 30,1916.

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Lmj Thomas J. Yqres MMkW WWW/ 57 Y AT Tys *mrnn STATES PATENT cannon THOMAS J. YATES, 0F SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO YATES MACHINE COM- PANY, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

VALVE MECHANISM FOR WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented May 30, 1916.

Application filed April 30, 1914. Serial N 0. 835,556.

To all 10 ham it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS J. YATES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salem, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Valve Mechanism for Washing-Machines, of which the following description, in connec tion with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to valve mechanism particularly adapted to control the supply of hot and cold water to washing machines so that the water may be introduced'into the washing receptacle in a regulated manner and shut off automatically when the level of the liquid in the receptacle reaches a predetermined point.

The principal object of the invention is the production of a simplified means for independently locking valves in the supply pipes in any desired open position, together with an instrumentality to unlock the valves and permit the closure thereof when the liquid reaches the predetermined level in the receptacle.

The valves used in connection with this invention may be of the character disclosed in my prior Patent No. 964,833 granted July 19, 1910 or of any other suitable type,

as the present invention relates to the means for locking said valves in open position and the means for releasing the same.

The novel features of my invention will be more fully disclosed in the following specification and the annexed drawing and will be pointed out in the subjoined claims. Figure 1 is a side elevation of the means for controlling the valves, showing one of the valves depressed and the valve releasing and closing mechanism located in position to permit the flow of water through that valve into the receptacle, Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 22 Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a sectional view, partly broken away, on the lines 33, Fig. 2.

This invention is adapted for use in connection with a tank or receptacle into which the water preferably is introduced at the bottom through a pipe having a vertical extension adjacent to the side or end. of the receptacle, the valve mechanism being desirably supported on said pipe a short distance above the top of the receptacle in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1 of my prior Patent No. 964,833 above referred to.

In practice the pipe 1 is vertically ar ranged as shown in said patent and leads to a cylindrical extension 2 of a valve casmg 3 which is provided with two valve chambers 4 and 5 having respectively nippics or pipes 6 and 7 connected to cold and hot water reservoirs or other suitable supplies.

' The casing members 2 and 3 desirably form an integral structure provided with seats in the valve chambers to receive suitable valves, there being removable heads 8 and 9 through which the valves may be introduced and fitted within said casing. The valves are desirably identical in form and forthat reason it will be suflicient to describe the operating mechanism in respect to one only. The valve stem 10 is extended through a suitable stufling box 11 in the wall or side of the casing and its outer end is bifurcated and pivotally attached by a bolt 0r pin 12 to the intermediate portion of a lever 13 which is fulcrumed upon a pin 14 at the end of a link 15 which in turn is pivotally mounted upon a pin 16 secured to cars 17 projecting from the side and end of the casing 3. r

The lever 13 is provided with a handle 18 by means of which it may be lowered to open the valve the desired amount. In order to lock the valve in open position frictional gripping means are provided which will retain the valve in correct adjustment,

and means are also provided whereby upon releasing the locking means the valve will be automatically closed. The referred means shown herein comprises a rod or link 20 having a vbifurcated end 21 connected by a pivot 22 to the lever 13 intermediate of its handle-and its connection to the valve stem. The main portion of the link 20 is preferably square in cross section and passes through an apertured gripping member which desirably may be a locking dog 23 loosely fitted about said' link and having a cylindrical or spherical portion 24 pivotallv and slidably mounted in a suitable recess 25 in a stand 26, which desirably may be secured to the portion 2 of the casing by screws 27 extending through flanges 28 into suitable bosses 29 on said casing. The inner end of the dog 23 is provided with a tail or projection 30 normally depressed by a spiral spring 31 mounted in a recess in a boss 32 extending upwardly from the stand 26 and provided with a suitable screw 33 forming an abutment or seat for said spring. The opposite end of the dog 23 desirably is provided with a curved nose constituting a thumb piece 34 whereby upon depression of said thumb piece the dog will be rotated upon its bearing so that its gripping action upon the stem of the link 20 will be released and the valve stem permitted to slide freely. The opposite end portion 35 of the link 20 is desirably made cylindrical in form and is provided with a collar 36 forming a seat for one end of a spiral spring 37 which is supported at its opposite end upon a lug 38 extending laterally from the lower end of the casing 3.

By the construction above described it will be obvious that the handle 18 and lever 13 may be depressed to open the valve any desired amount and that when so depressed the dog 23 will grip the opposite sides of the stem, as illustrated in Fig. 2 and retain the same in the exact position to which it was adjusted, so that the amount of water discharged into a receptacle by either the hot or the cold water pipe or both may be accurately regulated.

As before stated it is desirable that the valve or valves which may be opened to permit the entrance of the water into the receptacle will be closed when the level of the water in the receptacle reaches a certain predetermined level, and to effect this purpose suitable means such as that illustrated in my prior Patent No. 964,833 may be provided to raise a suitable rod 40 adapted to actuate releasing mechanism whereby the valves may be returned to closed position by the action of the spring 37 upon the lever controlling the valves.

The releasing mechanism may be of any suitable character such as that disclosed in the drawings herein in which the rod 40 is connected to the end of a lever 41 suitably pivoted in ears 42 projecting laterally from the casing 2, said lever 41 having at its opposite end a detent 43 adapted to engage a hook 44 carried by a sliding releasing memher. The hook 44 desirably maybe provided with a lateral projection 45 adapted to contact with a lug 46 projecting from the side of the casing 2 to limit the movement of the lever and maintain the same in such position that when the sliding member is moved downward its end will wipe over the inclined end of the detent 43 and thereby enable the hook to engage the detent. The sliding releasing member as illustrated herein comprises a plate 47 suitably mounted in ways formed in lateral extensions secured to or projecting from the casing 3 and desirably is provided at its lower end with an extension 48 having a cam surface 49 adapted to engage the under surface of the projections or tails 30 of both the dogs 23 and rotate them about their sliding pivots to releasing position. The end of the projection 48 is shaped to constitute the hook 44 heretofore described which is engaged by the detent 43 when the "alve is opened to admit water to the receptacle. The upper end of the releasing member 47 may be provided with a handle 50 by which it may be depressed to cause the hook 44 to engage the detent 43 of the releasing lever 41.

In order to maintain the slide in position and to cause the same to be pressed normally upwardly to cause the release of the valve controlling member or members, the under face of the sliding member 47 is provided with a T-shaped downward extension 51, one arm 52 of which is extended through an opening in a supporting flange 53, while the other arm 54 constitutes a core for a spiral spring 55 which is seated at its opposite end upon a flange 56 extending laterally from the casing 3. The spring 55 when in place, is under compression so that the slide is maintained normally at the upward limit of its movement, in which position the releasing cam 49 will engage the tails 30 of the dogs 23, maintaining the dogs in such position that the rods 20 will slide freely through the openings in said dogs, thus permitting the valve to be held in closed position by the springs 37.

When the operator desires to introduce either hot or cold water or both into the receptacle he will first press down upon the handle 50 of the slide 47 forcing the latter downwardly until its hooked end 44 engages the detent 43 of the lever 41. When the hook and detent are thus engaged the re leasing cam 49 is removed from beneath the ends 30 of the dog 23 permitting said springs 31 to rock said dogs upon their sliding pivotal supports into gripping engagement with the rods 20. The operator may then depress the lever which controls the hot or the cold water pipe, or both. The depression of the levers 13 is made against the tension of the springs 37 and the levers are locked in adjusted position by the frictional engagement of the dogs 23 with the rods 20 in the manner aforesaid. By reason of this frictional engagement the valves may be adjusted with great accuracy so that the fluid introduced into the tank may be regulated to the desired temperature.

between its detent 4:3 and the hook 44 of the slide 47 and the cam surface 49 riding under the tails 30 of the dogs 23 will rock the latter in such a manner as to permit the free movement of the rods 20 through said dogs. Upon being thus released the spring 87 will force the rods 20 upwardly raising the lever 18 and thereby raising and closing the valve automatically.

It is to be understood that the machine disclosed herein constitutes one embodiment of my invention but that the invention may be included in other constructions and that various modifications may be made within the scope thereof.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a fluid receptacle having a plurality of inlet pipes, valves to control the admission of fluid through said pipes, independent means for locking the respective valves in adjustably open position including spring actuated sliding members, spring actuated frictional gripping means engaging said members and normally 7 positioned to lock the same against sliding movement and releasing mechanism operable by the fluid when the same reaches a predetermined level to release said gripping members from frictional engagement with the sliding members and to permit the closing of the valves.

2. The combination with a receptacle to contain fluid having a plurality of inlet pipes containing valves to control the admission of fluid to said receptacle through said pipes, of independent means for locking the respective valves in open position comprising levers pivotally connected to the valve stems, rods pivotally connected to said levers, frictional gripping means embracing said rods and normally positioned to lock the same, spring-pressed releasing mecha nism adapted to disengage both said gripping members, and means operable by the fluid in the receptacle to cause the action of the releasing means when the liquid reaches a predetermined level.

3. The combination with a receptacle to contain fluid and a valve to control the admission of fluid thereto, of means for looking the valves in open position comprising a lever pivotally connected with the valve stem, a rod connected to said lever, a dog pivotally and slidably movable relative to said rod and having gripping members, means for depressing the tail of said dog to cause the gripping members to engage said rod, spring actuating releasing mechanism adapted to be manually positioned to permit the dog to operatively engage the rod and means actuated by the liquid in the receptacle for disengaging the releasing mechanism to render the dog inoperative and permit the restoration of the valve to closed position.

4. Valve closing means for the inlet to a fluid receptacle comprising a valve control ling means including a lever, a spring actuated rod connected to said lever and pivotally and slidably mounted gripping means cooperating with said rod, means normally rocking said gripping means into engagement therewith, and means for manually releasing said gripping means.

5. Valve closing means for the inlet to a fluid receptacle comprising a valve controlling means including a lever, a spring actuated rod connected to said lever, a pivotally and slidably mounted gripping member cooperating with said rod and having means normally rocking said gripping member into engagement therewith, and means for automatically moving said gripping member about its pivotal support to cause the release of said rod.

6. Valve closing means for fluid receptacles comprising a valve controlling means including a lever, a spring actuated rod connected to said lever, a pivotally and slidably mounted gripping member cooperating with said rod, means normally rocking said gripping member into engagement therewith, and means for automatically moving said gripping member about its pivotal support to cause the release of said rod comprising a spring actuated releasing member having a cam surface adapted to engage the tail of said gripping member to rotate the same and means controlled by the fluid in the receptacle to actuate said releasing means when the fluid reaches a predetermined level. i

7. The combination with a fluid receptacle and a valve to control the admission of fluid thereto, the means for locking the valve in open position comprising a lever pivotally connected to the valve stem, a spring pressed rod connected to said lever and normally tending to hold the valve in closed position, a frictional gripping member embracing said rod and pivotally and slidably mounted thereon, means to cause the to engage said hook, and means connected name to this specification, in the presence to said lever operable by the liquid in the of two subscribing Witnesses.

tank upon reaching a predetermined level to disengage said hook and detent and cause THOMAS YATES 5 the actuation of the releasing mechanism Witnesses:

to permit the closing of the valve. CEGILIA F. SULLIVAN,

In testimony whereof, I have signed my F. GERTRUDE HANNIBLE.

Copies of this, patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 61. 

